Chapter 10

…This is no use.

The town we’re in seems to be surrounded by a huge wall. Or rather, it’s like the town is completely covered by a dome of some kind?

Something like that… It seems like some run-of-the-mill deserted down, but when you start looking, it’s more like a movie set built indoors. Like a miniature garden, almost.

I’m not very familiar with movie sets, but there are many things here that look artificial, aren’t there?

It’s made to look old. But when you peel away the façade—you can see that it’s brand new.

Hey, don’t just tear the posters off the walls. You’re probably breaking some kind of law.

I wouldn’t know, since I have amnesia~

Look, this poster is very faded and old… but when you take it off, the wall is clean, even though there should logically be traces left behind.

Normally, you should be able to see dirt and yellowing around the edges where the poster was.

For some reason, the trash on the street has been glued down as well and can’t be moved—You can’t just pick it up and bring it home with you.

It’s not like it’s cold enough for it to freeze and stick to the ground, either.

So what does that mean? Seriously, where are we…?

It seems like a busy downtown district, but there’s nothing but monsters prowling around.

This is the hour when good boys and girls should be sleeping, though.

But I wonder… I don’t need my memories to recognize the foreboding atmosphere of this town.

Yeah, I get you… At first, I thought some Twilight Zone shit happened and we got sent to a parallel world, like in a manga.

But it doesn’t feel like that, either… I can’t put my finger on it, but it smells so fishy, like it’s all a sham.

—Gyah?!

What’s wrong, Tomoya-kun?!

No it’s just, for some reason my watch started vibrating…

I–i–i–is it okay?! It’s not gonna explode, right?! I remember reading one of those death game mangas about this!

I don’t think it’ll explode, no. Ooh, my watch is starting to vibrate too ♪

Why do you look so happy about that? Is everything you see really that interesting? Are you a baby?

Ngh… Hey, some kind of social media thing popped up on the watch’s screen.

Social media?

Yeah, it looks like Twitter. I don’t remember ever opening an account though. I deleted all my personal accounts before I went to Yumenosaki.

But do you think we could get in touch with someone with this? If it’s got a social media site, it means it’s connected to the internet, right?

Oh, can I type using this button? Lemme search for—Aha, got it! Hokuto-senpai’s account!

Hoku…to?

You don’t even remember him?! I mean, I guess I can’t blame you—if you’re five or whatever, you wouldn’t have met—

But no matter what else you forget, you have to remember Hokuto-senpai! Everyone in the whole world should have his sparkling, radiant name etched into their hearts!

C–calm down… You’re scaring me a little, Tomoya-kun.

Oh um, sorry. I guess I get a little crazy when it comes to Hokuto-senpai.

Y–yeah, I guess so. More importantly, this Hokuto-senpai—Can you get in touch with him?

Hang on. I’m trying to remember how to do that. Ummm, how do you work Twitter again?

Wait, huh? Uhhhh…?

What’s wrong, Tomoya-kun?

Ch–check this out. Hokuto-senpai’s tweets cut off a year ago.

But look at the last tweet: “Important announcement regarding Hidaka Hokuto’s retirement.”

Huh? Huh? What the hell does that mean? It looks like it links to some blog—Crap, the page was taken down!

Ungh… All the replies to the tweet are just berating him.

“You should’ve disappeared way before this,” “Retire? Why not KYS instead”—They’re all like that. I can’t even read these.

It’s not just Hokuto-senpai either. Everyone else is… It looks like all the idols I know are in the same boat?

Did they all really quit being idols? Some of them went missing, like they got caught up in something bad. A–and some of them were even arrested!

What happened?! Wait, huh?

I found my account!

…? Tomoya-kun, why are you panicking so much?

Sh–shut up for a sec. What is this… Like, it’s got tweets I’d definitely write, but.

But it says I quit being an idol a long time ago…?

And now that I’m living a normal life, I’ve become some kinda idol anti and shittalk them nonstop!

It’s—It’s so graphic and scary too! All this stuff that sounds just like me, like what I’d actually say, but it’s so nasty and malicious!

This isn’t me! It’s fake, it’s a forgery! You gotta believe me, Hibiki-senpai—I really love and respect all the other idols…!

I–I know, so please calm down! I don’t know what’s going on at all, but if you don’t remember doing anything like this, then there’s nothing to worry about!

I was a peculiar child, so whenever something happened in my neighborhood, people would get suspicious of me. But I always stood tall and didn’t make excuses for myself.

Even if I was the only one who knew I’d done nothing wrong.

I’m sure you could stick it out like that—in a fairy tale! But this is real life!

If you don’t do everything you can to prove you’re innocent, they’ll just keep coming after you! I only ever heard about it in stories, but when you were called one of the Five Oddballs—

Well, it’s not like you remember any of that now.

…?

Fufu. Wouldn’t you be happier if you forgot all about those sad memories?

…?! Tenshouin—I mean, Tenshouin-senpai!